Jevon Holland

Giants To Sign S Jevon Holland

March 11th, 2025 at 8:13am CST by Adam La Rose

Jevon Holland found himself as one of the top free agents left on the board in the aftermath of Monday’s action. He has managed to find a new home quickly during the second day of the negotiating period, however.

Holland has agreed to terms with the Giants, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will be a three-year, $45MM pact, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. The deal includes $30.3MM in guarantees, per Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero.

The top safety on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agent list, Holland checked in at No. 6 overall. The 25-year-old Canadian was held without an interception in 2024, a factor which threatened to hurt his earning potential on the open market. Another, of course, was the overall trend (which was particularly visible last offseason) of teams shying away from big-ticket safety signings. Nevertheless, Holland has managed to secure a notable payday.

With 301 tackles, 25 pass deflections and five each in the sack and forced fumble categories, the former second-rounder will be expected to produce in a number of areas for New York. Holland is set to join a team which ranked top-10 in pass defense last year but struggled on that side of the ball in several other areas. The Giants allowed Xavier McKinney to walk last spring, but they have made a commitment in line with many of the top safety deals worked out in 2025 to acquire Holland.

Once it became clear the Dolphins would not use the franchise tag in this case, a free agent departure loomed. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team did make an effort to re-sign Holland, but he had several options to choose from on the open market. The interested suitors included the Panthers, Commanders, Colts and Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported yesterday. Carolina and Indianapolis have since made big-money commitments in other safeties, helping explain this Giants agreement.

New York has been active in adding on defense so far this offseason, including a lucrative deal for cornerback Paulson Adebo. He and Holland will be counted on to operate as impactful starters in 2025 and beyond as the team looks to bounce back from a disappointing season last year.

Free Agency Rumors: Raiders, Murphy, Holland, Jets, Dalman, Bears, Falcons, OL

March 9th, 2025 at 10:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Byron Murphy was on the 2023 market, but the four-year Cardinals starter settled for a midlevel two-year deal. After a productive Vikings run, the former No. 33 overall pick has set himself up for a second payday. On a market featuring a host of third-contract-seeking corners, Murphy may be in the best shape due to going into an age-27 season. A suitor has emerged for the six-year vet in the Raiders, with The Athletic’s Tashan Reed labeling him a top priority for the Silver and Black. Murphy has set a high asking price, potentially up to $20MM per year, though the Vikings are exploring a second contract.

Elsewhere in the Raiders’ secondary, the team still wants to keep Tre’von Moehrig. With Moehrig expected to do well on the market, the Raiders may need a backup plan. Identifying Moehrig as the most difficult of Las Vegas’ in-house free agents to retain, Reed mentions Murphy teammate Camryn Bynum as a player to watch for a potential addition. Evidently viewing the Vikings’ secondary as a well-run unit, the Raiders have both starting safeties (Moehrig, Marcus Epps) hitting the market. Moehrig landed 24th on our top 50 free agents list, Bynum 36th. Bynum joins Murphy in going into an age-27 season and as a player who played a key role in helping Minnesota form a top-five defense.

Here is the latest from the free agent market:

Jevon Holland has been tied to the Panthers and Titans, with the Dolphins not giving up hope — reminding of their Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt final hours — of retaining him. The Jets should be a team to monitor for Holland as well, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets. No. 6 on our FA list, Holland has been linked to potentially commanding as much as $20MM per year. The Jets have Chuck Clark, Jalen Mills and Ashtyn Davis due for free agency. Holland would be a much pricier replacement, but the Jets have a veteran secondary coach (Aaron Glenn) as HC now. Glenn just had considerable success developing Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
The Jets are not expected to retain Tyler Conklin, Hughes adds. Conklin played three seasons with the Jets, outdoing C.J. Uzomah after both were signed in the same offseason. Conklin, 29, could do reasonably well on the market. This is a thin TE market, with Juwan Johnson and now Evan Engram profiling as the top options. Mike Gesicki scored a three-year, $25.5MM Bengals deal. Conklin has been more consistent. He was oddly more productive with Zach Wilson, posting a career-high 621 yards in 2023; he tallied 449 and a career-high four TDs last year.
Extending Jake Matthews stands to create some cap space for the Falcons, but Drew Dalman will draw a strong market, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. A three-year Falcons center starter, Dalman looks to be the top snapper available ahead of his age-27 season. The Bears are being mentioned as a team to monitor for Dalman, Schultz adds. Chicago has been busy revamping its interior O-line in Ben Johnson‘s first weeks on the job, trading for Joe Thuney and ex-Lions starter Jonah Jackson. Dalman would fetch an upper-crust center deal, but the Bears do have two rookie tackle salaries (for now) and Caleb Williams‘ rookie-scale deal around which to build.
Dan Moore Jr. has been set to leave Pittsburgh for a while, as the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks on tackles. The four-year Pittsburgh LT is expected to command at least $15MM on the open market, with Schultz adding a high-teens AAV may be required. Ronnie Stanley landed a $20MM-per-year deal from the Ravens. The more accomplished tackle is four years older and more injury-prone than Moore. In what would be a more surprising free agency market, Schultz adds the 49ers’ Jaylon Moore may score a deal on the same level as the more experienced Moore. Jaylon Moore, a 2021 fifth-rounder, filled in for Trent Williams last season and has 15 starts on his resume. With Stanley and Alaric Jackson off the board, the Moores and Cam Robinson stand to do well.

FA Notes: Bucs, Mack, Dolphins, Holland, Panthers, Titans, Giants, Bills, Falcons

March 7th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers did not see their Joe Tryon-Shoyinka first-round pick pay off, and the 2021 draftee is close to hitting free agency. As the Bucs prepares a pass-rushing plan for 2025, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler connects Khalil Mack to the team. Also mentioning the Bears (a previously noted Mack suitor), Fowler notes the Bucs are looking for pass-rushing help. The team has YaYa Diaby under contract for two more seasons, but it has struggled to find a complementary piece since Shaquil Barrett began to decline post-Achilles surgery. Anthony Nelson, who posted four sacks last season, is nearing free agency as well.

While the Bucs have D-line regulars Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, they will need to look for a second OLB starter. Mack rebounded from an injury-marred 2021 season by starting all but one game in three Chargers years. He soared to 17.5 sacks in 2023 but saw his usage rate drop and his sack total along with it (to six) in 2024. Mack, however, has been a durable player and one of this era’s best edge rushers. Although he considered retirement this offseason, the Chargers want him back. The 34-year-old’s market will be interesting.

Here is the latest from the free agent market:

A player who will command more in total than Mack, Jevon Holland is likely this year’s top safety available. PFR’s No. 6 free agent, Holland escaped the franchise tag deadline and may be poised to follow Robert Hunt and Christian Wilkins out of Miami. The Panthers and Titans are expected to show interest in the four-year Dolphins starter, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes. Holland’s market is likely to stretch past $15MM per year and could reach $20MM AAV, Wolfe adds. Antoine Winfield Jr. is the highest-paid safety, at $21MM per annum; no one else has reached $20MM. The Dolphins are still interested, but the former second-rounder will carry a robust market. If Holland leaves, the Dolphins would need two new safety starters; Jordan Poyer is not expected back, per Wolfe.
The Giants are bracing to lose Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy writes. Considering their investments in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it has looked for months like Ojulari would depart. Despite an extensive injury history, Ojulari has been productive when available. He registered 22 sacks on his rookie deal, including six last season as he filled in for an injured Thibodeaux. After holding onto Ojulari at the deadline, the Giants would only recoup a compensatory pick — depending on the team’s FA activity — once he leaves.
The Falcons finished 31st in sacks last season, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes they are doing heavy research on defense in the draft. This comes after Atlanta’s effort to trade back into Round 1 for a defender, after the surprising Michael Penix Jr. pick, failed. As the team changes DCs for a third straight year, Fowler adds it is expected to also pursue defensive upgrades in free agency. The Falcons are expected to let Matt Judon hit the market, and Ledbetter adds fellow OLB Lorenzo Carter is also likely to hit free agency. A pass-rushing overhaul, as Grady Jarrett may be on the trade block, may be afoot in Atlanta.
Count the Panthers as a team also readying to bolster its defense in free agency, Fowler adds. Carolina fell from fourth in total defense to 32nd last season, and while they are again retaining DC Ejiro Evero, the DC should have more to work with in 2025. After Carolina traded Burns and did not do much to replace him, it is safe to expect a pass-rushing pursuit to commence. Safety Xavier Woods will be among the Panthers who will test the market next week, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. He will join kicker Eddy Pineiro in doing so.
Preston Smith has lingered in free agency for a bit, after his Steelers release, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes the Bills are believed to have interest. Although Smith (4.5 sacks last season) signed two healthy Packers contracts, it will not take too much to land the 32-year-old EDGE after he disappointed as a Steelers deadline addition.

2025 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 20th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year’s salary cap spike created another opportunity for teams to retain talent, and once the upcoming cap surge (roughly $25MM) produces a number, the 2020 CBA will have produced four straight single-year jumps by at least $16MM. These climbs, which dwarf the per-year jumps the 2011 CBA brought, have both helped teams retain talent and pay for free agents while also ballooning the costs of franchise tags.

That said, last year featured eight players given the franchise tag and one (Kyle Dugger) receiving the transition tender. Illustrating the cap climb’s impact, eight of those nine players landed extensions. None of them occurred near the July 15 extension deadline for tagged players, leaving only the Bengals and Tee Higgins‘ non-negotiations still outstanding by the time the usually action-packed stretch arrived. Higgins is back among this year’s lot of potential tag recipients, but not as many players join him.

We are now in Year 33 of the franchise tag, a retention tool that came about during the same offseason in which full-fledged free agency spawned. With clubs having until 3pm CT on March 4 to apply tags, here is who may be cuffed:

Likely tag recipients

Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals)
Tag cost: $26.18MM

It never made too much sense for the Bengals to pass on tagging Higgins, who would at least — in the event the team would squash Joe Burrow‘s crusade to retain the veteran Ja’Marr Chase sidekick — fetch draft capital in a trade. A second Higgins tag comes in at 120% of his 2024 tag price ($21.82MM). It would be interesting if the Bengals went from not negotiating with Higgins during his four months on the tag last year — and generally being prepared to move on in 2025 — to circling back and paying him a market-value deal, but that does seem to be in play.

Burrow’s push would see the team having roughly $70MM per year allocated to the receiver position; that would squash where even the Eagles and Dolphins have gone for their high-end wideout duos. Higgins, 26, was unable to market his age-25 season thanks to the tag. If the latest rumors surrounding the former second-round pick are accurate, he would be kept off the open market once again. That is a fairly significant window to miss; then again, he would have banked $48MM during that period.

The Bengals are projected to carry more than $53MM in cap space, making this a solution they can afford. But after extensive negotiations with Chase last year and Burrow stumping for Higgins, the team has an important decision to make soon.

Cincinnati has less than two weeks to give Higgins a long-term deal. It would mark quite the about-face to do so. The organization has not seriously negotiated with the WR since the first half of 2023, and even when talks did commence, no proposal came too close to $20MM per year. Those talks predictably broke down, and Higgins’ new price is believed to be around $30MM. With plenty of suitors awaiting — the cap-rich Patriots among them — that would be doable for the 6-foot-4 target, who is coming off a better season compared to his 2023 showing.

Higgins zoomed back to his usual form by hauling in 73 passes for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns; his 75.9 yards per game trailed only his 2021 number (77.9). Higgins, however, missed five games for a second straight season. Hamstring and quad injuries kept Higgins off the field last year, but his market does not appear to have cooled as a result. At worst, the Bengals could fetch Day 2 draft capital in a trade. A first-round pick may be tougher here due to an acquiring team needing to authorize a pricey extension, but teams have been calling ahead of the past two deadlines. Cincinnati still has options, but its Higgins plans will certainly need to be run by Burrow given how much he has stumped for the team to retain the five-year vet.

On tag radar

Sam Darnold, QB (Vikings)
Projected tag cost: $42.39MM

Rumors have not pointed to a clear-cut plan here. At least, the Vikings’ vision for their would-be bridge QB has not become public. But the sides are still talking. Minnesota saw the formerly underwhelming starter break through at 27, taking advantage of the Vikings’ weaponry and Kevin O’Connell‘s ability to coach up quarterbacks. Darnold earned original-ballot Pro Bowl acclaim, throwing 35 touchdown passes (to 12 INTs) and smashing more career-high marks in yardage (4,319) and completion percentage (66.2). Previously in place to hold down the fort while J.J. McCarthy developed, Darnold saw the rookie’s meniscus tear change his Twin Cities outlook.

McCarthy has undergone two surgeries and may have a long way to go in his rehab. As McCarthy went down before playing a regular-season snap, it would make sense for the Vikings to give strong consideration to cuffing Darnold as a pricey insurance measure. On the other hand, the Vikings have a few key performers set to hit the market soon. Byron Murphy, Camryn Bynum and Aaron Jones are moving toward the market. A Darnold cap hold of more than $40MM would clog Minnesota’s payroll ahead of free agency, though the team is projected to carry $63.3MM in space.

Darnold’s late-season letdown undoubtedly factors into the Vikes’ equation, as $42.39MM can be viewed as a bit steep for a player who did not consistently impress in New York or Carolina. But Darnold has proven he can excel in O’Connell’s system. As we detailed on a recent Trade Rumors Front Office post, a multiyear deal for Darnold would not make as much sense; the team still has high hopes for McCarthy. Unless the Vikings plan to entertain the expected trade calls for last year’s No. 10 overall pick, the only way Darnold would stay would be via the tag.

A tag would not be in Darnold’s best interests, as the soon-to-be 28-year-old passer has rare momentum ahead of an offseason featuring several teams with QB needs. A much-criticized draft class at the position would also benefit Darnold, who has been linked to potentially scoring a Baker Mayfield-like deal (three years, $100MM). With the cap now climbing to around $280MM, the seven-year vet could conceivably aim higher. The Vikings hold the cards here in the meantime, as this represents one of the more interesting tag decisions in several years.

Big markets await otherwise

Jevon Holland, S (Dolphins)
Projected tag cost: $20.13MM

Already cutting Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller and Durham Smythe to save space, the Dolphins are not expected to roll out a tag for Holland. This would mark a second straight year the Dolphins will send one of the top free agency-eligible players to the market. Miami let Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt walk in 2024; each lineman signed a top-market deal. Holland would be expected to follow suit, as the former second-round pick has started 57 games and is going into his age-25 season. The Dolphins are projected to hold barely $1MM in cap space, mandating more moves ahead of the 2025 league year.

The British Columbia, Canada, native has five career sacks, five picks and five forced fumbles. This comes along with 25 pass breakups. The past two free agencies have seen one safety check in much higher than his peers contractually, with Jessie Bates (four years, $64MM) and Xavier McKinney (4/67) scoring top-five contracts. The latest cap spike will help Holland, who can aim for the $16MM-AAV Bates tier as a floor.

Although PFF viewed Holland as better under Vic Fangio (third overall) than Anthony Weaver (56th), the months-long Miami extension candidate will still do very well if he hits the market. Extension talks with the Oregon alum did not pick up before last season, and the Dolphins appear close to losing another quality starter early in free agency.

Trey Smith, G (Chiefs)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

Over the past 15 years, only two guards have been tagged: Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. Washington cuffed Scherff twice, letting him walk in 2022. New England kept Thuney as a placeholder during a busy 2020 on the tag front. Both players scored then-guard-record deals on the open market. Smith is expected to follow suit, as the Chiefs are viewed as unlikely to apply this pricey placeholder on their four-year right guard starter. Despite having attempted to extend Smith for a bit last summer, the former sixth-round find remains unsigned.

Kansas City looks likely to go left tackle shopping, as Thuney proved overmatched in his final fill-in assignment there, and its four-year LG starter is under contract for one more season. The Chiefs’ four-year, $80MM Jawaan Taylor misstep carries an already-guaranteed 2025 base salary ($19.5MM), thanks to the ex-Jaguar RT being on the Chiefs’ roster last March, and the team handed All-Pro Creed Humphrey a deal that easily made him the NFL’s highest-paid center. Losing Smith may be the cost of doing business, unless the three-time defending AFC champions can craft an 11th-hour solution to keep the 25-year-old Pro Bowler via the tag.

Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

It is highly unlikely the Ravens use the tag here, as they already gave Stanley a pay cut in 2024. That said, Baltimore wants to work something out with its longtime left tackle. Stanley’s injury history also would make a $25.8MM guarantee lofty, but this also could be a placeholder to ensure he does not leave in free agency. The Ravens lost three O-line starters in 2024, and this is the costliest position up front.

Then again, the Ravens faced a similar situation in 2019, and they let C.J. Mosley walk rather than overpay on the tag. The Ravens have used the tag in each of the past two offseasons, but it was to retain younger players (Lamar Jackson, Nnamdi Madubuike). They currently are projected to carry barely $12MM in cap space. As PFF notes, only six players 28 and older have been tagged over the past five years. No player over 30 has been tagged since the Bengals retained A.J. Green in 2020. Green was 32 that season; Stanley will turn 31 in March.

The Garett Bolles–Dion Dawkins–Taylor Decker tier, as our Nikhil Mehta pointed out, may be the place to watch for Stanley, who reestablished momentum last season after playing 17 games for the first time in his career and making the Pro Bowl. He is in position to command a nice third contract. Will it come from the Ravens? After the tag window closes, Baltimore has until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with the nine-year blocker.

Dolphins Not Expected To Tag Jevon Holland

February 19th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins are not expected to place the franchise or transition tag on Jevon Holland, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, setting him up to be one of the top safeties on the free agent market.

The franchise tag for safeties is projected to be $19.6MM, and the transition tag is projected to be $15.6MM, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins are currently projected to be $5.4MM over the 2025 salary cap, so they would have needed to make additional moves to accommodate a tag for Holland by the start of the new league year.

Oftentimes, though, the tag is used as a placeholder to allow extension negotiations to continue, which could lead to a long-term deal with a smaller 2025 cap hit. However, the Dolphins did not make significant progress towards an extension before the 2024 season, indicating that they and Holland remain far apart.

The Dolphins may not be completely out on re-signing Holland, but they seem willing to let him test the market this spring. That’s partially because the team has “a lot of needs elsewhere,” according to Wolfe, though letting Holland walk will certainly add to that list. Jordan Poyer, Miami’s other starting safety in 2024, is also set to hit free agency and may follow his former Bills teammate Micah Hyde into retirement.

After Antoine Winfield Jr. reset the safety market last offseason, Holland will likely be looking for an APY at $18MM or higher. The 2021 second-round pick has a strong pedigree as a three-time captain and defensive playmaker, though he has struggled with injuries and lower ball production over the last two seasons. That may limit his APY to the $16-17MM range of Xavier McKinney and Jessie Bates, especially with several other safeties set to hit free agency.

Holland could receive interest from the Jaguars, per Wolfe, who are looking to add playmakers on defense after hiring Anthony Campanile as defensive coordinator. Jacksonville has plenty of cap space and a clear hole in the secondary that Holland could fill.

Dolphins’ Jevon Holland Expected To Land Contract Near Top Of Safety Market

November 17th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins safety Jevon Holland may have priced himself out of Miami. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes in a subscribers-only piece, Holland is considered a top-five safety in the league, and the contract-year defender will be in high demand should he hit free agency in March. Miami is currently projected to be near the bottom of the pack in terms of cap space in 2025, so it is unclear if the club will have the wherewithal to keep him off the market.

Holland, 24, was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2021 draft, and he has been an impact defender from the jump. In keeping with the league’s perception of his performance, Pro Football Focus graded Holland as a top-five safety in 2021 and 2023, and the Oregon product’s value is further bolstered by his versatility; he is capable of lining up as a free safety, in the box, or even in the slot.

He also boasts strong playmaking ability, as evidenced by the 23 passes defensed, five interceptions, five sacks, and five forced fumbles he has compiled in his career. He is still looking for his first interception in 2024 – he has missed one game due to a broken hand and another due to a knee injury – but the track record of splash plays he has established is a strong one.

The Dolphins were said to be interested in talking extension with Holland this offseason, though those discussions never gained much traction. The team prioritized new deals for some of the most notable names on its roster, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and Holland acknowledged back in May that his contract situation was not a top agenda item for the ‘Fins.

“I’m on the back burner,” Holland said at the time. “I don’t know much. I just work here. I just work here.”

Presumably, he will not be on the back burner for much longer. Although the safety market has stagnated at times in recent history, the lucrative deals that players like Antoine Winfield Jr. and Xavier McKinney signed this offseason prove that there is still an appetite to pay top dollar for true difference makers in the back end of the secondary. Indeed, Fowler expects Holland’s next contract to check in between McKinney’s four-year, $68MM deal and Winfield’s four-year, $84MM accord.

That assumes that the Dolphins will not place the franchise tag on Holland. The tag number for safeties is projected to be over $19MM in 2025, and Fowler’s sources have suggested that, like former Miami defensive tackle Christian Wilkins this offseason, Holland may be allowed to test the free agent waters, where he might find a market too robust for the Dolphins’ liking.

Dolphins S Jevon Holland Expected To Miss Time

October 6th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

As the Dolphins stopped their losing skid in games Tua Tagovailoa did not finish, another of their top players sustained an injury that is expected to sideline him for a bit.

Safety Jevon Holland suffered a broken bone in his hand in Sunday’s win over the Patriots, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It is not yet known if IR will be in play here, but the Dolphins are readying to play without their top safety.

Holland’s left hand was in a cast following the game, with some discussion of surgery between he and his teammates, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. An extended absence by the star safety would be a significant blow to a Miami defense that entered Week 4 allowing just 162.5 passing yards per game, the fifth-lowest in the NFL.

The Dolphins also played their Week 5 game without their other starting safety, Jordan Poyer, who missed his first game of the season due to a shin injury. Elijah Campbell is listed as Holland’s backup on the Dolphins’ depth chart, but he started just two games across his first four NFL seasons. Mike McDaniel could instead turn to veteran Marcus Maye, who signed with Miami in June. Maye has 77 starts across his eight year career, though he has played just 25% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps this season.

Holland is also in the final year of his rookie contract, so his broken bone could impact his upcoming negotiations with the Dolphins. The two sides had yet to make progress on extension talks entering the season, and Holland’s injury may throw another wrench into this matter.

The former second-round pick was active for every game in his first two NFL seasons before a concussion sidelined him in Week 8 last year. A knee malady held him out from Weeks 12 to 15 in 2023 and recurred in Week 18 to keep him out of the Dolphins’ wild-card loss to the Chiefs. Holland will be looking to capitalize on the recent boom in safety salaries, so a smooth recovery will be important to ensure that Miami (or a free agency suitor) will be getting its money’s worth.

Dolphins-Jevon Holland Extension Talks Have Not Picked Up

September 12th, 2024 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

Jevon Holland‘s contract year started off well. The fourth-year safety’s goal-line punch-out denied Travis Etienne a potential back-breaking touchdown, keying a Dolphins comeback win over the Jaguars.

The Dolphins lost their other two safety regulars from last season — Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott — but Holland remains, and the team identified him as an extension candidate in the spring. In the months since, this process does not appear to have gained steam. As several clubs moved to extend key players before the start of last season — one notable Texas-based deal coming hours before kickoff — Holland remains on his rookie contract.

[Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins]

Miami has not intensified its extension talks with Holland, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler offers. The former second-round pick cannot speak with other teams until March’s legal tampering period, but the Dolphins went through a busy offseason on the extension front. They paid offensive cornerstones Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle and came to a rework agreement with Tyreek Hill, a transaction that reminded of Chris Grier‘s Xavien Howard payday in 2022 in that both players had three years left on their existing deals. The Dolphins then re-upped Jalen Ramsey, who had already seen the team greenlight more guarantees upon acquiring him via trade.

Starting 43 games for the Dolphins since being chosen 36th overall in 2021, Holland has now forced four fumbles over the past 18 games. The Oregon alum is in his age-24 season, and while this year featured some twists and turns in the safety market, teams showed — via the Xavier McKinney Packers signing and Antoine Winfield Jr. Buccaneers extension — they are still willing to pay top-market rates for difference-makers. Holland has displayed that talent.

Pro Football Focus rated Holland as a top-five safety in 2021 and again last year. The Dolphins have again changed their defensive scheme, making a coordinator change (from Vic Fangio to Anthony Weaver) for a third straight year. Perhaps the team wants to gauge Holland’s fit in Weaver’s system before accelerating talks, but the closer the Dolphins come to free agency, the more difficult it stands to be to retain the young defender.

Following an offseason that featured a cap situation that effectively prevented a Christian Wilkins franchise tag and led to he and Robert Hunt leaving in free agency, Miami is not expected to carry much in the way of 2025 funds. While it is still early here, the Dolphins sit with the NFL’s third-worst 2025 projection (per OverTheCap). That would make a franchise or transition tag more difficult, and while teams have a way of navigating troubled waters (see: New Orleans) to pay the players they want, Wilkins’ defection — after extensive Dolphins efforts to retain him — shows cap trouble brings consequences.

Two safeties — Winfield and Kyle Dugger — were tagged this offseason, with the Patriots transition-tagging the latter. Both signed lucrative extensions. This path could be a viable Dolphins path with Holland, but the team still has some time to avoid a lofty cap hold hitting its payroll via a March tag.

Dolphins, S Jevon Holland Have Not Discussed Extension

May 23rd, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Adam La Rose

Tua Tagovailoa is in line for an extension, but a number of other Dolphins are also eligible for deals keeping them in the fold beyond 2024. That group includes safety Jevon Holland, who has one year remaining on his rookie pact.

An April report indicated Miami was interested in a Holland extension, and general manager Chris Grier confirmed that is the case. Both Tagovailoa and receiver Jaylen Waddle (who is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2025) represent more notable financial priorities, however. That has left Holland waiting for negotiations to begin in his case.

“I’m on the back burner,” the latter said when speaking about the lack of contract talks (via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald). “I don’t know much. “I just work here. I just work here.”

Holland, 24, has started all but three of his 46 combined regular and postseason appearances for the Dolphins. The former second-rounder had a strong season in 2022, racking up 96 tackles and a pair of interceptions. He was limited to 12 games last year, however, due to a pair of MCL sprains. In 2023, Holland totaled 74 stops, three forced fumbles and a 99-yard pick-six.

The Oregon product also showed improvement in coverage, allowing a passer rating of 99.3 and a pair of touchdowns as the nearest defender. Still, his level of play after returning to the field likely hindered his asking price on a new contract. The overall landscape of the safety position is also a factor working against him with respect to commanding a lucrative extension.

The 2024 offseason has seen a number of high-profile safeties let go, and a number of them remain unsigned well after the draft. While Antoine Winfield Jr. represents a notable exception, the position as a whole has been undervalued recently. That will most acutely affect veterans seeking third or fourth contracts, but it will no doubt be a factor in Holland’s attempts to secure a raise on his second deal.

The Dolphins lost Brandon Jones and DeShon Elliott in free agency, while the team retained Elijah Campbell and added Jordan Poyer. The latter (who came over from the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal) is set to handle a starting role in 2024. The same will be true of Holland, and his play will particularly be worth watching in the event no new deal gets worked out over the remainder of the offseason.

Dolphins Eyeing Extensions With WR Jaylen Waddle, S Jevon Holland

April 16th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Adam La Rose

An extension for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa represents a major offseason priority for the Dolphins, but a pair of players drafted one year later are also eligible for new deals. Miami is interested in working out an agreement in both cases.

The Dolphins are expected to pursue an extension with wideout Jaylen Waddle and safety Jevon Holland, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Both players have been with the team for three years, and as such they can sign second contracts at any time. The former could be retained through 2025 via the fifth-year option, but as a former second-rounder that is not the case for the latter.

To no surprise, Jackson adds Miami will pick up Waddle’s option in the absence of an extension. That would tie him to a fully guaranteed $15.59MM salary in 2025, a figure well short of the value near the top of the receiver market. A long-term Waddle agreement will be pricey, especially given the direction his position is headed in.

The 25-year-old – who was included in Colts trade requests involving a potential Jonathan Taylor swap – has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons in the league, leading the NFL in yards per reception in 2022 (18.1). That production, which includes 18 touchdowns, puts Waddle slightly ahead of classmate DeVonta Smith early in their respective careers. The latter inked a three-year, $75MM extension (in addition to his fifth-year option) on Monday, placing him in a tie for fourth in the league in terms of annual compensation for receivers.

The fact Smith was able to land such a lucrative pact despite not serving as his team’s clear-cut No. 1 receiver is of course relevant in Waddle’s case. Much like how Smith plays alongside A.J. Brown, Waddle competes for targets with Tyreek Hill in Miami’s passing attack. Hill is on the books for three more years, but he only has guaranteed salary remaining on his $30MM-per-year accord for 2024. Alterations to that contract could be coming down the road, especially if a pricey Waddle commitment ends up being made.

Holland has been a mainstay in Miami’s secondary upon arrival in the NFL, starting 42 of 45 games. The 24-year-old Canadian has recorded five interceptions – including a 99-yard touchdown return this past season – and 21 pass deflections to date. Holland has added 239 tackles and four sacks, and he enjoyed a career-best season in coverage in 2023 with respect to opposing passer rating (99.3).

The Dolphins have one major financial commitment in the secondary at the moment (Jalen Ramsey), and the team has added veterans Kendall Fuller and Jordan Poyer on short-term deals in free agency. Holland is positioned to be a key figure for the present and the long-term future, though, and a multi-year agreement would allow Miami to retain an integral producer at the safety spot for years to come.

One of the storylines of the 2023 offseason has been the downward trend in terms of market value at the position, with a number of high-profile veterans being released ahead of free agency. Holland’s age and production could make him a worthwhile investment and an outlier, especially if he could be extended at a low enough rate. With a lucrative Tagovailoa agreement looming, it will be interesting to see if the Dolphins manage to hammer out an extension with at least one of Waddle or Holland this offseason.

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